Pulley block and base



Dec. 4, 1956 E M. BUSH PULLEY BLOCK AND BASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1954 plan 1\E ll INVEN TOR.

EVERETT M- V Busn AFTER/VF) Dec. 4,1956 E. M. BUSH 2,772,857

PULLEY BLOCK AND BASE Filed March 24, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet 2 H 7/ 3 3 3 f W 1 w- 16 INVENTOR. EVERETT M. Busu BY I United States Patent 2,772,857 PULLEY BLOCK AND BASE Everett M. Bush, South Nyack, N. Y.

Application March 24, 1954, Serial No. 418,436

2 Claims. (Cl. 254--195) The present invention relates to a base mountable on a truck bed or other supporting surface, and adapted for supporting in selected positions a pulley block of the general type shown in U. S. Patent 1,955,942, issued to me on April 24, 1934.

in accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to provide a base that can be stationarily mounted on the truck bed, and in Which the pulley block can be engaged fixedly, in different positions, in a manner that permits the pulley block to be inserted in or removed from the base with a maximum amount of speed and ease.

Another object is to so form the pulley block and base as to insure against movement of the block rela tive to the base, in each position in which the block is supported.

A further object is to form the base in a manner which will cause it to represent a minimum projection on the truck bed or platform, when the block is not being used and has been removed.

Yet another object is to provide, on the base, a latch means that can be swiftly swung between opposite extreme positions in one of which it holds the block in the base, and in the other of which it permits removal of the block from the base.

A further object is to so design the interengaging base and block as to permit manufacture of the same at a low cost, without sacrificing strength and durability."

For further comprehension ofthe invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following' description and accompanying drawings, and, to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: i i i ,Fig. l is" a front elevational view of a base and block formed in accordance with the invention, a truck platform or bed on which the base and block are mounted being illustrated fragmentarily, the dotted lines showing the locking position of the latch.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the base andblock taken from the left of Fig. l,'the truck bed being illustrated in section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base and block.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 in which the block is shown in a second position.

Fig. 6 .is a fragmentary perspective view of the open end of the base showing the latch.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 77 of Fig. 1, the pulley block and truck bed not being shown.

At 10, there has been generally designated a base constituting the present invention shown in association with a pulley block 12 and a truck bed 14.

The base can be a one-piece casting, and is formed substantially to a horseshoe or U-shape with one end of against rotatable movement.

2,772,857 Patented Dec. 4, 1956 the base opening upon the rear edge of the truck bed. The base, thus, includes a U-shaped body 16, having a flat underside supported against the upper surface of the truck bed. The outer edge of the body has been designated at 18, and is substantially circularly curved so as to eliminate sharp projections thereon. The inner edge 20 of the body, however, is formed with'straight, parallel side surfaces extending from the open ends of the body to meet with'rearwardly converging surfaces (Fig. 4), said rearwardly converging surfacesmeeting at their convergent ends with a back surface extending normally to the side surfaces. Thus, it will be seen that the base has an open center, said open center being shaped as a segment of a hexagon, thus to permit a hexagonally shaped, fiat member to be engaged in the base and held The base can be fixedly mounted on a truck bed in any suitable manner, and in the illustrated example is secured thereto by bolts 26 spaced uniformly along the length of i the base.

At its open end, the base is integrally provided with a depending flange 22 tapering from its midlength portion toward its opposite ends. Flange 22 is integral as its ends with the free ends of the legs of the U-shaped body 18",

and has a straight upper edge coplanar with the underside of the body and with the upper surface of the truck bed. Flange 22 is adapted to engage against the end of the truck bed, and supports a latch means to be hereinafter. a

The truck bed, in the illustrated example, is of reinforced construction at the location of the base, and includes a platform 28 overlying a transversely extending channel member 30 which can be braced by a plate 32 welded to and extending between the side walls of the channel member.

In its basic essentials, the pulley block is similar to that shown in the above-mentioned patent, but is modified to ,interengage with the base. The pulley block is provided, thus, with a frame 34 in which is rotatable a pulley 36. Rigid with one side of the frame is a' handle 38. At its base, the frame is integral with a flat, hexagonally shaped member 40adapted to fit snugly in the open center of the base in the manner shown in Fig'. 4, said member being readily entered through the open end'of the base, and being supported directly upon the truck bed.

At that side of the frame opposite the handle 38, there is formed an outwardly extending, short arm 42 integral at its outer end with a second hexagonal member 44 lying in a plane slightly oblique to the plane of rotation of the pulley, the first hexagonal member lying in a plane normal to said plane of rotation.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 5, it will be noted that the pulley block can be selectively positioned, by engagement of a selected hexagonal member in the base. Thus, in Fig. 2 the member 40 is engaged by the base, the pulley being rotatable in a vertical plane. In Fig. 5, the member 44 is engaged in the base, and the pulley will now rotate in a plane inclined slightly from the horizontal. The different positions will be selected, of course, according to the work being performed.

Said member, of course,

described upon the pin for movement between opposite extremepositionsshown in full and dotted. lines respectively in Fig. 1.

At its other end, the latch member is reduced in width and is formed with a curving tail 50 adapted to be supported, in the .inoperative position of the latch member, upon a stop pin 52 carried by the flange 22. When the latch member is supported against the stop pin or lug 52, it will be located wholly below the plane of the underside of the base, thereby to facilitate insertion or removal of the pulley block. When, however, the block has been inserted and is being used, it is swiftly locked against withdrawal by grasping of a knob 54 extending from the tail 50, and swinging of the latch member to the dotted line position. shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the reduced end of the latch member will project upwardly to engage the block against movement out of the base. The latch member will remain in its locked position, when the pulley block is in use, due to the fact that the location of its pivot axis is such as to cause the tail thereof to overbalance the wide end.

While I have illustrated and described the'preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not'limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A pulley block and base comprising a pulley frame, a pulley rotatable within said frame, a flat non-circular supporting member secured to the bottom of said frame withthe plane thereof substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said pulley, an arm secured to and extending from one side of said pulley frame and a second flat,.noncircular support member identical in size and shape and interchangeable with said first support member secured to thee'nd of said arm, the plane of saidsecond support being inclined slightly to the plane of rotation of said pulley, a substantially U-shaped base in plan having a flat undersurface adapted to rest on a truck bed or the like, means for securing said base around its periphery to a truck bed or the like, said base havinga non-circular opening therethrough adapted to receive therewithin one of said supports, an overhanging lip secured to the upper surface of said base around said opening and adapted to retainone of said supports within said opening against vertical displacement, and means for preventing lateral displacement of said one non-circular support through the open end of said base, said last mentioned means being releasable, saidlast mentioned means comprising a flange depending from the free ends of said base and having an upper edge coplanar with the undersurface of said base, a pin extending outwardly from said flange at right angles thereto, a flat elongated latch member formed at one end with a widened portion having an aperture receiving said pin, said latch member being reduced width and formed with a. curving tail at its other end, a stop pin carried by said flange and disposed in the path of movement of said latch member and. adapted to support said latch member curved tail thereon when said latch member is in an inoperative position disposed below the plane of the upper edge thereof, the location of the pivot axis of said latch member being adapted to cause the tail portion thereof to overbalance the widened portion whereby to retain said latch member .in the operative position when rotated through degrees away from said stop pin.

2. A pulley block and base comprising a pulley frame, a pulley rotatable within said frame, a flat non-circular supporting member secured to the bottom of said frame With the plane thereof substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said pulley, an arm secured to and extending from one side of said pulley frame and a second flat, non-circular support member identical in size and shape and interchangeable with said first support member secured to the end of said arm, the plane of said second support being inclined slightly to the plane of rotation of said pulley, a substantially U-shaped base in plan having a flat understirface adapted to rest on a truck bed or the like, means for securing said base around its periphery to a truck bed or the like, said base having a non-circular opening therethrough adapted to receive therewithin one of said supports, an overhanging lip secured to the upper surface said base around said opening and adapted to retain one of said supports within said opening against vertical displacement, and means for preventing lateral displacement of said one non-circular support through the open end of said base, said last mentioned means being releasable, said non-circular opening in said base representing a segment of a hexagon, said first and second support members of said pulley being substantially hexagonal in shape and adapted to fit within said hexagonal segment. 5

-References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France Aug. 27, 1926 

